Brooder.



J. T. FERRES.

BROODEB. APPLICATION FILED MAY 8, |911 1,152,619.; v Y PatentedSept. 7,1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1. T. FERRES.

BROODER.

APPLICATION FILED IIIIIY 8.,I9II.

1,1 52,6 l 9., Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

fig;

rnb sTA'rNs rArNNrr ormoni JNDFREY T. Envases', or ANDERSON,INDIANA;AssIeNorD To THD sEFTON MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, or ANDEnsON,INDIANA, A CORPORATION or INDIANA.

'BROODEBh Speccation of Letters Patent.

rammed sept. r, Iers.

Application filed May 8, 1911. Serial No. 625,893.

To: al1 whom t may concern Be it known that I, JEFFREY T. Fnnnns, acitizen of the United States, residing Vat Anderson, in the county ofMadison and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Brooders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to what are known as brooders for chicks and theobject thereof is to produce a novel and efficient device of thischaracter,1preferably made from doublefaced corrugated paper board andcapable of being collapsed into flat form for shipment and storagepurposes.

Speaking in general terms my brooder comprises a box-body in which isarranged a false top from which the hover-strips depend and which isadapted to provide for a circulation of air from the interior of the boxinto the space above the false top from which the air escapes throughsuitable openings, thereby preventing any draft in the box which mightcause injury to the chicks. In addition one or more strips made into Uform are provided for yards in connection with the box-body, thesestrips being adjustably secured by suitable devices against the outerfaces of two of the opposite side walls of the box. Vhen theseyard-strips arein their innermost position, they serve to closev theside openings in the box through which the chicks pass. The entirestructure including the yard-strips and the box with its false toptherein are so constructed that they may be collapsed into comparativelysmall compass, the same lbeing shipped or storedin that condition.

My brooder embodies other novel and ad-` vantageous features which willbe apparent from the description `hereinafter given.

,ln the drawings Figure 1 isa plan view illustrating a blank from whichthe boxbody is formed; Fig. 2 a perspective of my brooder showing thesame in connection with two strips for forming yards at opposite sidesof the box; Fig. 3 a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 5; Fig. 4L aperspective of the box and yard-strips in their` collapsed form, thesame being shown within the lower half of a shipping box; Fig. 5 asectional plan view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3 and Fig. 6 a sectionalelevation `on the line 6--6 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the particular embodiment of my invention as herein shownand withoutl limiting myself to the specific character thereof, thebox-body is preferably made of double-faced corrugated paper board andeither from a single piece or blank or two ormore pieces hingedlyconnected together. In the present instance, however, I have shown thebox-bodyas being made of a single piece blank as illustrated in Fig. lthe same beingl cut and scored to form a bottom 1, top 2, and twosimilar opposite sidewalls 3-3, eachof which has hinged to its oppositeends the extensions or flaps 3a which when folded inwardly in pairs formthe other two opposite side-walls. As indicated in Fig. 1 apasting stripL is used for hingedlyconnecting the free outer edge of the top 2 withthe outer free edge of the side-wall 3. When the box made from such ablank is assembled into forni, there is produced a box-body having abottom l, a top 2, two opposite side-walls v3 3 and two other oppositeside-walls formed by the fiaps 3a which by preference are ofl suchlength as to somewhat overlap each other. The two side-walls 3--3 areprovided with door openings 8b through which the chicks may pass and thetop of the box is provided withv one or more ventilation openings l,such openings being two in number in the present instance and bypreference. l provide these ventilation openings with screens 5, inorder to prevent the entrance of rodents particularly weasels, withoutobstructing the passage of air through such openings.

Within the box-body is arranged a false top which consists of a strip 6preferably of the same material as the box-body and having at two of itsopposite edges the iaps or extensions Git-which are turned downwardlyand secured to the two opposite sidewalls 3 in any suitable manner as bymeans of staples 7 This strip is, as to its other two sides somewhatshorter than the box as clearly indicated in Fig. 6 in order to pro-`vide air spaces or passages Gb at opposite ends of the` box for thecirculation of the air from the interior of such box and upward aroundAthe ends of said strip or false top 6 and into the air space 8 at theupper end of the box body from which the air finally escapes or passesthrough the openings la. While it is preferred to locate these Openingsinthe top member of the box yet `it will be understood that they may belocated elselos Y Vwardly `to near the bottom of the box.

These'strips may be made of any suitable material such as Cantonflannel. Similar strips 10 are preferably hung in the door openings 3l?of the box. n

By preference I provide a removable bottom consisting of a strip 11preferably having at two opposite end edges cross-pieces or `cleats 12of any suitable material and preferably of'wood. This bottom forms aremovable bottom or tray' which can be sprinkled with sand, saw-dust orany other such material and which can be readily removed for cleaningpurposes by withdrawing the'same through one of the sides formed by theflaps 3a.

The yards or inclosures in which the chicks may run are formed of stripspreferably of the same material as the box, that is double-facedcorrugated paper board and are adapted to be held in adjusted positionsrelative to the box. Whiley I have showntwo of said strips forming yardsin opposite sides of the box, it will be understood that only one ofsaid strips forming a single yard or inclosure may be used if desiredand also that if two of such strips are provided, only one of them maybe used at a time. asmuch as both of these yard-strips are similar inconstruction and formation a description of one will suffice for both.Eachv strip is formed or bent into three parts or portions intoV the UAform clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 the same comprising the two parallelparts 0r portions 13 and the connecting part or portion 14. While asshown and by preference the yard strips are made fromV a single piece orblank yet it will be understood that they may be made of separate pieceshingedly connected in a suitable manner. The parts 13 of the strip areof such height as to properly fit between the extended ends Zoff the topand bottom of the box, the same being of substantially the same heightas the yard strips are adapted toslide against the side walls formed bythe iiaps .3a and the same overlap the corresponding parts of the otheror opposing yard strip when such strips are both in their innermostposition. By sliding the yard strip inwardly or outwardly with respectto the .box the size of the vyard orinclosure may be varied at will andwhen such strips are in their innermost position they serve to closethedoor-ways 3b of the box. F or convenience in operating` these yardstrips and for strengthening the same I provide the connecting part 111with Y serve the purpose.

a suitable cross-strip 15 preferably of wood. In orderto hold the yardstrips in any adjusted position, suitable means may be employed. In thepresent instance such means consistsof clothespins 16 which are selectedbecause they are always at hand and readily These clothespins are passedthrough openings 1h located in the top of the box near the outer edgesand immediately above the parts 13 of the yard strips and also the flaps3a of the box body, withthe result that when such pins are inserted inplace they grip and bind together the yard strips and the said sidewalls of the box. These fastening devices are also used by preferencewhen the yard strips are in their innermost position in order to retainthem in such position.

The brooder above described is thus of comparatively simple constructionand can be very readily operated, besides which it is so constructed asto provide for proper ventilation and also to provide for collapsinginto iat form so that it can be brought into small compass for storageor shipment. In particular the false top is so located and secured tothe box body that the entire structure can be properly collapsed.Furthermore the yard strips are made collapsible so as to be readilypacked in fiat form with the remainder ofthe brooder, all as indicatedin Fig. 4c wherein the entire brooder is shown in collapsed form readyfor shipment within a shipping box indicated at 17, it being understoodthat the package is ready for shipment when a cover (not shown) isapplied to the shipping box.

I claim: v

1. A collapsible brooder formed of paper board and comprising acollapsible rectangular box body having a ventilation opening and anopening for the chicks, a rectangular false top narrower in onedimension than such box body to permit circulation of air past its sideedges from the interior to the space above it and 'thence through saidventilation opening, said top being hingedly secured at its oppositeends to the box body,` whereby the entire box body and said top may becollapsed together.

2. A collapsible broeder formed of paper board and comprising acollapsible rectangular box body having a ventilation opening and anopening for the chicks, a false rectangular top narrower in onedimension than such box body toV permit circulation of air past its sideedges from the interior to the space above it and thence through saidventilation opening, said top consisting of a body piece and flapshinged to its opposite ends, whereby the entire box body and said topmay be collapsed together, and means for securing said Haps to twoopposite sides of the box body.

3. In a brooder, the combination of a box body composed of top, bottom,and side walls connected together, the top being constructed to extendbeyond the outermost walls of the brooder structure at two oppositesides and form projecting flanges loverhanging said side walls, a threepart strip to form a yard, two of which parts are arranged parallel toeach other and adapted to slide along the outerside of said lastmentioned two sides of the box and below the overhanging flange portionof the top, and means for holding said strip in any adjusted positionrelative to the box.

,4. In a brooder, the combination of a box body composed of top, bottom,and side walls connected together, the top being constructed to overhangthe side walls on two of the sides, a three part strip to form a yard,two of which parts are arranged parallel to each other and adapted toslide along the outer side of said last mentioned two sides of the boxand below the overhanging portion of the top, said top having aperturesin said overhanging part, and detachable fastening devices passingthrough said apertures and engaging the parallel parts of said strip andthe adjacent side walls of the box for holding said strip in anyadjusted position relative to the box.

5. In a brooder, the combination of a box body composed of top, bottom,and side walls connected together, the top being constructed to extendbeyond the outermost walls of the broeder structure at two oppositesides and form projecting flanges overhanging said side walls; a threepart strip to form a yard, two of which parts are arranged parallel toeach other and adapted to slide along the outer side of said lastmentioned two sides of the box and below the overhanging flange portionof the top, said box body having a side opening for the chicks adaptedto be closed by said strip in its innermost position, and means forholding said strip in any adjusted position relative to the box.

6. In a brooder, the combination of a box body composed of top, bottomand side walls connected together, the top and bottom both beingextended outwardly beyond two opposite side walls to form projecting topand bottom flanges, a strip having three portions made into U-shapeform, the parallel portions being arranged to slide between the extendedflange portions of the top and bottom of the box, and means for holdingsaid parallel portions of the strip in adjusted position relative to thebox body.

7. In a brooder, the combination of a box body composed of top, bottomand side walls connected together, the top and bottom both beingextended outwardly beyond two opposite side walls to form projecting topand bottom fianges, a strip having three portions made into U-shapeform, the parallel portions being arranged to slide between the extendedfiange portions of the top and bottom of the box, and means for clampingsaid parallel portions of the strip to the adjacent side walls of thebox.

8. In a brooder, the combination of a box body composed of top, bottoniand side walls connected together, the top and bottom both beingextended outwardly as to two opposite sides beyond the lines of theadjacent side walls, a strip having three portions made into U-shapeform, the parallel portions being arranged to slide between the extendedportions of the top and bottom of the box, said box top having openings1b, and fastening devices passing through said openings and engaging andclamping together said parallel portions of the strip to the adjacentside walls.

9. In a brooder, the combination of a box body composed of top, bottomand side walls connected together, two of the opposite side walls beingmade in sections, each of which is hinged to its adjacent wall of theother two side walls, and a three-part strip to form a yard, two ofwhich parts are arranged parallel to each other and adapted to slidealong the outer faces of said side walls which are in sections, said boxbody having a side opening adapted to be closed by said strip when inits innermost position, and means for holding said strip in any adjustedposition relative to the box, the

ends of the top and bottom of the box ex-` tending on opposite sides ofthe box body outwardly beyond the side walls which are in sections toform projecting flanges above and below such side walls.

l0. In a brooder, the combination of a box body composed of top l,bottom 2, two opposite sides 3, 3 which are hinged to both the top andbottom, and two opposite sides which are each composed of two sections3a overlapping when the box body is erected, and a strip comprising theparallel parts 13 and cross part 14, said strip being adapted to fitagainst and to slide along the outer faces of said sections 3a, one ofsaid walls 3 having an opening 3b adapted to be closed by the part 14 inthe latters innermostposition, and means for holding said strip in anyadjusted position relative to the box, the ends of the 'topand bottom ofthe box extending on opposite sides of the box body outwardly beyond theside walls which are in sections to form projecting flanges above andbelow such side walls.

JEFFREY T. FERRES. Witnesses:

M. L. VINNEDGE, M. L. TwoMLEY.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe iimmissioner oi Patents, Washington, I). G.

